President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks during the celebration of the 15th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) week held at the Marriot Hotel in Clark Pampanga on August 11, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file
MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. will travel to Indonesia and Singapore for his first foreign trips as the country's leader in September, Malacañang announced on Friday.
Marcos will be in Indonesia from Sept. 4 to 6, and in Singapore from Sept. 6 to 7, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said, keeping with the tradition among Philippine presidents of choosing a Southeast Asian nation for their first foreign trips.
Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said Singapore was considered because it also extended a invitation for Marcos to do a state visit.
The planned visit will precede Marcos' possible trip to the United States for his attendance at the United Nations' General Assembly (UNGA), Romualdez said.
But Cruz-Angeles said that Marcos' visit to the US "is still being worked out although nagsabi ang Pangulo (the President said) that he will be going."
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is already fixing Marcos' schedule, according to Romualdez, based on his recent meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.
The UNGA is the main policy-making organ of the United Nations. The decisions it makes include appointing the secretary-general, electing the non-permanent members of the Security Council, and approving the UN budget, according to the UN website.
The Assembly meets in regular sessions from September to December each year.
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